Heroin is one of the most commonly abused drugs in the United States. This depressant is derived from the opium poppy and processed into its highly addictive form.
It takes very little use for heroin addiction to establish itself, and once a user becomes dependent, the drug’s notorious withdrawal symptoms make unaided recovery very difficult. Stigma and fear surround heroin use, and people may struggle to reach out for help because of this, but it does not need to come between you and your wellbeing. Heroin detox can be tough to manage alone.
Many of our clients have tried to quit on several occasions with no support before reaching out to us, but the withdrawal symptoms have been too severe for them to be successful. However, our clients are often surprised at how much difference a medically supervised detox makes.
Heroin addiction is a medical condition that is entirely treatable. Our fully trained clinical staff will make sure that your transition into recovery is as comfortable as possible, and our therapists and counselors will help you lay the foundations for a successful and long-term recovery. Your new life begins with reaching out for help.
Typically pain medications are intended to be a short-term solution. Extended use can increase the risk of developing abuse behaviors and addiction. Always take medications as prescribed and always consult your healthcare provider on the use of these medicines. Discuss with your doctor the risks of addiction with medications that are prescribed to you.
This means away from where your children can get them. The recent Monitoring the Youth survey by the National Institute of Drug Abuse has shown a growing trend in adolescents using pain medications in a recreational manner. The commonplace for obtaining such drugs is their own medicine cabinets. This can be prevented by keeping such medications in a safe and controlled location. This type of drug abuse at a young age greatly increases the risk of developing an addiction.
Do not share your medications with others under any circumstances. This can be contributing to their dependency. Never sell your pain meds to others. Not only is this illegal, but it can also contribute to misuse and overdose deaths.
Most communities have developed programs for the safe disposal of medications. Dispose of them as soon as you and your doctor have decided you no longer need them. This decreases the risk of misuse, abuse, and theft.
Pharmaceutical companies are striving to address the issue of prescription drug addiction by inventing formulations that discourage abuse.
Anti-abuse pills pose a challenge to those who do not take the pill as orally recommended. Addicts of prescription drugs will often crush the pills. They then snort them or mix them with a liquid and inject them. The anti-abuse pill congeals when crushed, and does not at all mix with water.
This makes it difficult to inject and virtually impossible to snort. It is nice to see the pharmacy labs making strides to address the growing prescription drug problem. But until this becomes a common practice with medications of abuse, addiction will be an increasing problem.
